There are three in-person events taking place this week: the Proactis Spend Control Summit in London, Procurement Leaders’ Europe Forum in Amsterdam, and ISM-New York’s procurement appreciation event. On the virtual front, we have some new topics and some new hosts – my favorite combination. Click on the title of each recommended webinar below to view the full description and register.

The EU Data Protection Regulation, better known as GDPR, becomes enforceable in May of 2018. In order to be in compliance, all companies that do business in the EU (whether they are headquartered there or not) must demonstrate that they protect the personal data of EU residents, including consumer data, customer data, employee data, and other third-party data, or face strict penalties.Andrew Gutierrez, Director of Contracts and Compliance at Science Exchange (a platform for outsourced R&D) will provide a general overview of what GDPR means to your organization as well as sharing key tips on GDPR compliance.

The entire world is anxiously watching to see what will happen with the steady, defiant escalation of North Korea’s nuclear capabilities – especially in the hands of their unpredictable leader, Kim Jong-un. While the US and EU do not have direct trade relations with North Korea, it would be wrong to assume that our supply chains are immune – especially given the role China (North Korea’s top trading partner) plays in the global economy. In this timely webinar, Resilinc is bringing together experts who can discuss the relevant geopolitical considerations and supply chain dependencies. (I’ve registered for this event.)

After considering the precarious situation in North Korea, it may be a relief to focus on something as rational as the state of ePayables. In this webinar, Andrew Bartolini and members of the management team at Bottomline Technologies will discuss the changing role of AP and how technology can empower them to contribute to cash management, supplier relationships, and business intelligence.

Online shopping was made for me. I do not like anything about traditional shopping (the time, the money, the effort). Therefore, online shopping is a dream: with just a few clicks, it is done! The delivery method is often by UPS and occasionally FedEx. That is how I did 90% of my holiday shopping this past year. I was in heaven!